We prepare to march from Monroe—Arrival of Governor Wood with cavalry and artillery; and of the Fourteenth Illinois—How Mr. Dugan speaks of this in his book—A change of counsels—The Third Iowa moves west on a train—Circumstances of the ride—Failure of an attempt to burn the Chariton River bridge—A few details—How young soldiers originate false alarms—Our camp at Chillicothe—General Hurlbut assumes command of the troops on the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad—We draw our accoutrements at last—We leave Chillicothe and go into camp at Brookfield 61 CHAPTER V. Activity of the rebels—Colonel Martin Green—We are ordered against him—Details and incidents of the march from Mason City to Kirksville—Character of the Home Guards—Condition of the country—Our situation at Kirksville—Details of our occupation of that place—Arrival of reinforcements under Gen. Hurlbut—Our complaints and expectations 73 CHAPTER VI. Lieut. Call reconnoiters and reports the enemy's position—Colonel Scott desires to attack him with the Third Iowa, the Home Guards and the artillery—Gen. Hurlbut declines his consent—Dangers of such a movement—Disappointment of the men—The General reviews the troops—And issues a proclamation—He sends it by a flag of truce to Green's camp—Green don't see the point, but takes the hint and gets ready to leave—The General issues an order against plundering—Further details of our condition—A detachment goes to Lancaster after supplies—Escape and pursuit of Green—Details of the march—Suffering, straggling and plundering—Night at Wilsonsville—night at Bear Creek—Scouts from Moore—Junction with Moore at Bethel—Appearance of the place—Character and hospitality of the inhabitants—Change of plans—Moore and Smith pursue the enemy—Hurlbut and Scott move directly toward the railroad—Noon at Shelbyville—Another proclamation—A man straggles ahead of the column and is shot by the bushwhackers—Night at Shelbina—The situation—We proceed to Brookfield 89 CHAPTER VII. The expedition to Paris—The forces engaged in it—Details of the movement to that place—Conduct of Colonel Williams and Lieut. Col. Blair while there—They return speedily to Shelbina—Green pursues and confronts them with a large force—Details of the affair at Shelbina—Colonel Williams retreats to Hudson where he meets General Hurlbut with reinforcements—The propriety of the retreat discussed—The account of the Rebellion Record 104 CHAPTER VIII. We break up camp at Brookfield and proceed toward Shelbina—Junction with Smith and Moore—Gen. Pope assumes command—Hurlbut and Williams proceed to St. Louis in arrest—Pope leads a night march against Green at Florida—Feelings of the troops—Circumstances of that affair—Report of General Fremont concerning it—We return to the railroad and proceed to Macon—Arrival of Generals Pope and Sturgis at that point—Prospect of active movements 112 CHAPTER IX. Col. Smith with his own regiment and five companies of the Thirty-ninth Ohio, proceed to Platte River bridge and commence repairing it—Col. Scott is ordered to co-operate with him against the rebels in that vicinity—We proceed to Cameron by railroad, impress transportation and march toward Liberty—The first night—Second day's march—Second night at Centerville—Cannonading in the distance—Our feelings—Lieut. Call reconnoiters as far as Liberty—We move at 3 A. M.—At sunrise drive back the enemy's pickets and camp at Liberty—No tidings from Smith—Cannonading in the direction of Independence and probabilities of an engagement across the river—Col. Scott resolves to attack—Battle of Blue Mills Landing 120 CHAPTER X. Arrival of Smith—His march from the railroad—Why he arrived too late—Our feelings on his arrival—The situation the morning after the battle—What should have been done—Smith starts for St. Joseph—Burying the dead and caring for the wounded—Scott's official report—Comments on the same—Gallantry of Scott and Lakin—Official report of the enemy—Estimate of his force—Account in the Missouri Republican—Account in Pollard's "First Year of the War"—The necessity and merits of the battle 135 CHAPTER XI. We start for the railroad—Arrival at Centerville—Arrival of a courier from Sturgis—March to Plattsburg—Orders from Sturgis—Turn toward Kansas City—Night at Smithville—March resumed toward Liberty—Sturgis retreats three days from an enemy who does not pursue—We think his pursuers turn against us, and turn to the west to elude them—Strike the Missouri at Parkville and prepare to cross on a flatboat—A steamboat arrives and conveys us to Leavenworth—We return next day to Wyandotte—Our stay at Wyandotte—Move to Kansas City—Arrival of Lane's Brigade—Comparison between Lane and Sturgis—They quarrel about precedence in rank—Lane moves out of town—Hospitality of the citizens 152 CHAPTER XII. The troops leave Kansas City—We are not in a condition to march South—Rumored removal of the regiment to Quincy—Proceed by steamboat and railroad to Quincy—Our arrival and situation there—We are paid and prepare to leave—The citizens give a ball in our honor—Incidents of that night—We proceed to Benton Barracks—Col. Williams, his release, conduct, and re-arrest—Changes—Our sanitary condition—We are ordered to the North Missouri Railroad—Disgraceful conduct of certain captains 165 CHAPTER XIII. Preparations—We move North by railroad—Details of the ride—March from the railroad—Night on the frozen ground—Feelings and conduct of the soldiers toward the citizens—Night at Martinsburg—March to